The rain outside was getting heavier, a corner of the window blew open with a bang, and the cold wind blew up her black clothes, just like sitting on a wisteria-wrapped swing when she was a child, her breath was filled with the light fragrance of lilac flowers . The wind blew past her ears, raising her skirt and sideburns, and the maid pushed hard, and she flew high. The sky is so close that it seems that you can touch it with your hand. The clouds are pure white, just like the cattle and sheep outside the Great Wall that the Queen Mother often talked about. echoed in the ears.
The sunshine at that time was so warm, and the air was filled with the moisture of joy. She was so small, so young, and the corners of her eyes were as clear as water in the sea. She stretched her legs straight and swayed back and forth with the swing, but her eyes flew out along the high wall, over the red walls and golden tiles, over the many palaces, until she saw the ink-painted chai gate. She saw him standing in the courtyard, with cold eyes and deep eyes, the wind blew through the corner of his clothes, and then his whole body seemed to fly away, even his face seemed to be covered in a layer of smoke. The mist grew bigger and thicker, and was finally covered under layers of years, and could never be found again.
"Master Shuixiang, the emperor is calling you, Master Shuixiang?"
The consular eunuch was calling anxiously, but she didn't move at all. Yan Xun's face was hidden in the lingering aloes, following the erratic white air, looking at her back in black, he suddenly seemed to understand.
Yan Xun looked at her for a long time, then Fang asked quietly, "Your name is Shui Xiang?"
She didn't answer, didn't turn around, just stood silently.
Yan Xun asked again: "Do you live in Taiji Nunnery?"
She didn't answer either, the hall was terribly quiet, the candlelight shone on her body, casting a long shadow on the ground, so slender, as if she could fall limply to the ground with a light touch.
Yan Xun's frowning brows gradually loosened, he looked at her silently, his eyes were so long, through grievances and enmity, and finally said in a light tone: "You go."
As if a mouthful of cold water had suddenly poured into his chest, Shui Xiang choked so hard that his throat became tighter and tighter. The fingers hanging on both sides trembled slightly. He tried several times, but he couldn't make a fist. Those attachments, those shames, those hatreds that gnawed at her heart and lungs like tarsus moths day and night, suddenly collapsed in such a light sentence. Her heart, which she had forcibly pieced together with resentment over the years, was instantly shattered, so empty, so painful, and so cold.
"Master Shuixiang, the emperor told you to go, let's go!"
The consular eunuch, who has become a fine man after walking in the palace for a long time, also noticed something unusual, and hurriedly urged aside in a low voice. Shui Xiang exhaled silently, lifted his foot and walked out slowly.
The candles in the hall were flickering, Yan Xun seemed to be depressed, waved away the attendants, sat down in front of the desk that had just been packed, lowered his head to review the few remaining memorials, the ink brush stroked the bright yellow paper, making a soft sound. The wind blew, lifted the corner of Shuixiang's gray black robe, revealing a pair of cloth shoes inside, her steps were calm and graceful, even a concubine who had been in the palace for many years was not as good.
The servant opened the door, and the slanting wind blew cold rain on his body, which was bitingly cold. Shui Xiang stepped out of the palace door with one foot, and half of his shoulder was exposed outside the door. She should have left, and she should have left, but for some reason, she stopped suddenly, just like that, unable to take another step.
The consular eunuch raised his eyebrows, took a step forward, took her by the arm and said, "Let's go with the master." After saying that, he helped her to go out without any explanation.
The little eunuch of the main hall immediately came to close the door, and Shui Xiang was obediently supported by the consular eunuch, with her head slightly lowered, and the night wind blew off her veil all at once. The consular eunuch let go of her and lowered her head to pick it up with an "ouch". She turned sideways, turned her eyes slightly, and looked in through the open door. In the dim light and shadow, he sat there alone, without raising his head, but his pen stopped.
The door of the palace was closed inch by inch, and she vaguely remembered so many things, so many things that she had forgotten for a long time. They were young and brilliant at that time, and they were all innocent and young, and the days were like mountain streams, flowing happily through those bright and fresh days.
How long has it been... How long has it been since she didn't remember, so long that she thought she had forgotten.
However, at this moment, as she stood here, those memories were like a torrent in midsummer, smashing the barrier of the seal in her memory in an instant.
At that time, the Great Xia was at its peak, the father was in good health, and the elder brothers were still young, even if there were occasional fights, they still carried the innocence and joy of children.
But at that time, her eyes were too pure, her thinking was too simple, she could not see the dense bones buried under the glittering golden palace, nor could she see the blood-stained blade covered under the colorful brocade, and she could not even see the sudden rush. The rumble of war drums was also suppressed by the drums and zithers in the deep palace. She deceived herself and lived in her own world, dreaming that one day she would marry him with a beautiful crown, and then follow him, take care of him, trust him, and listen to him all her life.
If life is just like the first time you see it, will there be no later entanglements with swords, swords, shadows and evil obstacles
In the end, who was wrong
"Master Shuixiang, your veil."
Shui Xiang turned his head, and the consular eunuch was taken aback for a moment. Although he had never seen the real face of this Master Shui Xiang before, she only covered her mouth and nose, not her eyebrows. However, after only such a short time, she seemed to have aged twenty years suddenly, her eyes were covered with wrinkles, and her temples were as white as snow, especially her eyes, which were no longer calm and profound when they first met, but full of vicissitudes. Lonely and lonely as a handful of ashes.
"Thank you." Shui Xiang took the veil from the consular eunuch's hand, didn't wear it anymore, turned around and walked out of the hall without any guidance, as familiar as his own garden.
With a bang, the heavy palace door finally closed completely, and the wind rustled like a bird crying at night, flying over the dome of Shengjin Palace. A little eunuch came up with an umbrella, the consular eunuch came to his senses and hurriedly chased after him, but saw Shui Xiang's thin and thin figure walking slowly in the long alley, the night was filled with fog, and the rain hit her shoulders above, like a lonely ghost.
On this day, it was the fourth day of September in the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan, and the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month of the same year. A fire broke out in Taiji nunnery in the east of the imperial capital. The fire raged for a day and a night, and the entire nunnery was burned down.
That night, Ah Jing Youmi, the commander of the Gyeonggi Guards, entered the palace. Yan Xun was eating at that time. After the commander Ah Jing knelt down and bowed, he said in a deep voice, "Master Shuixiang from Taiji Temple has left."
Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and asked, "Dead?"
"No, I'm leaving."
Yan Xun let out a faint "Oh", lowered his head and continued to drink the porridge, and asked, "Have you not eaten yet?"
Ah Jing wanted to say that he had eaten, but felt that he could not deceive the emperor, so he replied honestly: "I just came from the capital, and I haven't eaten yet."
Yan Xun said casually, "Sit down and eat together."
Ah Jing hurriedly said: "I dare not."
Yan Xun didn't force it, and ordered the maid to set another table for him, and Ah Jing sat on a small stool beside him and ate half a bowl of porridge. Seeing that he had finished eating, Yan Xun ordered him to back down, Ah Jing was puzzled, and finally asked in a low voice: "Does the Emperor not want to know where she has gone?"
Yan Xun said lightly, "You don't need to know."
"Don't you need to keep sending people to monitor her?"
Cigarettes were smoky in the big cauldron of the incense burner, and the maid in the rain-blue palace attire stepped forward, grabbed a handful of golden spices and sprinkled them in the golden burner.
Yan Xun was silent for a moment, but finally said calmly, "No need."
After Ah Jing finished speaking, she regretted her talkativeness, knelt down and left the hall.
The main hall is dark, but the outside of the hall is covered with snow, reflecting the bright moonlight, making the surroundings pale, but after all, there is an indelible darkness, wandering stubbornly in the shadows in the corner.
The lights in the hall flickered and then went out. The eunuch, the head of the internal servants, came out with a bent waist, and the eunuch of the Tongshi Museum who was waiting at the side came up to him and asked, "Which empress is calling tonight?"
"No one will be called." The chief eunuch clasped his index finger and thumb, making a gesture that the emperor was in a bad mood, "The emperor has already fallen asleep."
The hall was as silent as water, Yan Xun lay on the dragon couch and closed his eyes.
The night is so long.